Kenny Ladler is one of 36 early high school graduates to go through spring practice in the SEC this year. There are 141 such players enrolled at schools in conferences that get automatic bids to Bowl Championship Series games (and independent Notre Dame). That's easily the most since USA TODAY began tracking the trend in 2002, 31 more than last year's 110, which had been the high.

With Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft on the other end of the line for what seemed like a very long Friday evening phone call, Rob Gronkowski couldn't help but wonder if the competition for his services was suddenly raised a few notches. It was the second round of the NFL draft, pick 42 overall. Had the Oakland Raiders passed on making a selection? That was the announcement at the podium from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, whose word is usually as good as gold. Goodell also declared that the Baltimore Ravens were on the clock, and at that precise moment the Ravens' representative in the draft pit, personnel assistant Ian Cunningham, rushed forward to turn in the card that contained Baltimore's pick. Not so fast.

Gunnar Nixon is running, leaping and throwing himself at the barrier that Beach, now at Duke, put up last year when he broke a 16-year-old U.S. high school record with 7,909 points while competing for Albuquerque Academy.

Colorado has hired Tad Boyle to take over its men's basketball program. Boyle led Northern Colorado to a school-record 25 wins last season. He replaces Jeff Bzdelik, who left for Wake Forest last week.

Jeff Bzdelik was introduced as the new basketball coach at Wake Forest on Wednesday, ending a week-long search for a replacement for Dino Gaudio. The former coach at Air Force and the NBA's Denver Nuggets left Colorado after three seasons, where he was 36-58. He has a career coaching record of 111-105.

Brad Stevens apparrently won't be leaving Butler any time soon. The coach who took the Bulldogs to the national title game and fell one bounce short of winning the championship has signed a 12-year deal that would keep him at the school through at least 2021-22.